What would you change about this hobby if you could?
Gemyanks10
Posts: 1,164 ✭✭✭
If you guys could change 3 things about this hobby for the better, what would they be? The first thing I would do is make collecting modern more affordable for kids as it seems the major card manufacturers have priced kids out of the open market. Another thing I would love is for shows to make a big comeback. Where I'm from, (upstate NY), there's only one show a month as opposed to 1 every weekend back in the early-mid 90's. Not even any card shops here. Finally, counterfeiters! The fact that it is so risky to by unopened and untampered with material on Ebay is just ridiculous in my opinion. I try not to let it take the fun out of the hobby for me, but sometimes the worries outweigh the enjoyment. What do you guys think? What would you change or what bothers you about the state of the hobby nowadays? Thanks
Jimmy
Jimmy
Always looking for OPC "tape intact" baseball wax boxes, and 1984 OPC baseball PSA 10's for my set. Please PM or email me if you have any available.
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Ralph
Remove the fraud. There may be several things that irritate us about the hobby but if fraud could be eliminated I believe many of our peeves about the hobby would also go away.
+1, 2 & 3.
Currently collecting 1934 Butterfinger, 1969 Nabisco, 1991 Topps Desert Shield (in PSA 9 or 10), and 1990 Donruss Learning Series (in PSA 10).
More PSA 10's when I check my submission results !
They call me "Pack the Ripper"
I'm starting an unopened box collection now, and very worried about things. (no, not like the 74-81 greatness stuff I saw on another thread)
Cards are meant to be seen.
And it just encourages the criminals.
DaveB in St.Louis
My Hoard of 93 Finest Refractors and 94 Pinnacle Artist Proofs and Museums
I used to think I missed shows until I went to the 2011 Nationals. As is often the case with nostalgia, I remembered them as being way better than they actually were.
So my list is pretty consistent with the other feedback... get rid of the fraud.
Those who produce and/or sell counterfeit autographs, those who search packs, those who crack slabs to switch cards, those who reseal packs (and the eBay sellers who love supplying them), and the list goes on.
Ah well, when this stopped being a hobby and started being a business, I guess it was inevitable the flotsam of humanity would come in with the tide of money.
Oh, my other wish... that no one else would collect what I collect until I am done collecting it.
And for my third wish, I would like three more wishes.... in case I come up with anything else.
Snorto~
2) psa start grading Star basketball. The cards were in beckett a back in the day and belong back in the hobby. I was just checking the pop report and noticed the insane number of 86 fleer Jordan's there are. I don't own it yet but the 84 Star Jordan should be one of the top 10 cards of all time IMO.
3) merge the pop reports of psa, bgs and sgc but keep the user friendly format psa has.
Paul.
Later, Paul.
Wait thats what the hobby did in the 1990s and ruined the hobby to a degree. Nevermind.
Id like to see the Mantle at a single print and not DP.
2. I'd like to see more people (mainly non-collecting adults) have less of a negative view on sportscards and to not look at it as "a waste of money"
3. More card shops and card shows
It would be nice if non-collectors had an open mind about the hobby an treat it as such. It is a hobby (not just for kids) just like any other, and in some cases as most of you all know, it can be a business as well. A quick story: my brother- in- law was helping my wife and I move a few weeks ago and asked what was inside this particular box, I told him they were my old sports cards. while giving me a look of disgust, he said, "I thought you were supposed to grow out of that phase." I told him some of the cards and their value and watched as his eyes got real wide.
Some people collect cars, guns, shoes, hats, I collect cards and I feel the hobby should be respected just like any other hobby.
My brother in law likes to make his own beer, well I don't drink so that hobby is completely useless to me but I can understand and respect it!
Jimmy
<< <i>I understand PSA's grading scale and what defects pertain to certain grades but when you have a 1980 Topps George Brett that is perfect in every way and it's a 10, and then you have the same card down the list a little bit and it's a 10 only this one has a wax spot on the upper border and a small cigarette burn in his uniform, this confuses me sometimes. >>
It sounds like you don't understand PSA's grading scale. You're not going to ever find a PSA 10 with wax and a cigarette burn.
<< <i>1. Get rid of the fraud, scammers and counterfeiters
2. I'd like to see more people (mainly non-collecting adults) have less of a negative view on sportscards and to not look at it as "a waste of money"
3. More card shops and card shows
It would be nice if non-collectors had an open mind about the hobby an treat it as such. It is a hobby (not just for kids) just like any other, and in some cases as most of you all know, it can be a business as well. A quick story: my brother- in- law was helping my wife and I move a few weeks ago and asked what was inside this particular box, I told him they were my old sports cards. while giving me a look of disgust, he said, "I thought you were supposed to grow out of that phase." I told him some of the cards and their value and watched as his eyes got real wide.
Some people collect cars, guns, shoes, hats, I collect cards and I feel the hobby should be respected just like any other hobby.
My brother in law likes to make his own beer, well I don't drink so that hobby is completely useless to me but I can understand and respect it! >>
I totally agree.
People spend lots of money on the latest and greatest techno gadgets which quickly become outdated and are replaced but when you tell someone that you paid $500+ for a vintage baseball card they roll their eyes and think you're insane.
2. Stop producers from destroying Vintage Uniforms.
3. Have more than one card producer. Last I knew only Topps could produce licensed MLB cards. Bring back Upper Deck.
3A. Just because you bring back 1 more card producer, it does not mean you should have 20+ more sets. Each company with 1 base set, 2 high end set and 1 vintage style set (Fleer Greats of the Game, SP Legendary Cuts)
Dave
I would like to see more shows in general really. And for those who dealers who complain about not having enough traffic should maybe try and promote it as well rather than just do nothing and show up and expect customers. Without customers, there would be no shows.
And finally, I wish Topps would be original. I really dislike it when they replicate older card years to make them look like 1963 Topps or even 1987 Topps but with modern players. I find it a bit insulting to collectors. Mostly everything is trying to be retro these days.
Eagles this might be a good idea for a collector to start their own website but PSA will never do this. There are a number of reasons why they wouldn't consider this. There would be no benefit for them to treat other third party graders cards on an equal basis. There would also be no way to look at the pop report and see how many PSA had graded vs. BGS in the various grades.
So much of the registry's power is built on low population and this would dilute the number of graded examples and hurt prices. I think a huge part of PSA's success comes from low population cards selling for huge sums. Many dealers and collectors when they find strong examples choose to send them to PSA instead with hopes of landing a strong grade and then a strong price. This becomes self perpetuating and continues to help them build on their lead.
<< <i>3) merge the pop reports of psa, bgs and sgc but keep the user friendly format psa has >>
sounds like a great new value-added bit of info for VCP if you ask me.
Sticker autos
maybe have athletes sign so people can read their name.
Needs'
1972 Football-9's high#'s
1965 Football-8's
1958 Topps FB-7-8
<< <i>Sticker autos
maybe have athletes sign so people can read their name. >>
Wouldn't they have to know how to spell their name?
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Ralph
<< <i>
<< <i>3) merge the pop reports of psa, bgs and sgc but keep the user friendly format psa has >>
sounds like a great new value-added bit of info for VCP if you ask me. >>
Do you see that little c with the circle around it on the bottom of every page of the pop report?
<< <i>3) merge the pop reports of psa, bgs and sgc but keep the user friendly format psa has
Eagles this might be a good idea for a collector to start their own website but PSA will never do this. There are a number of reasons why they wouldn't consider this. There would be no benefit for them to treat other third party graders cards on an equal basis. There would also be no way to look at the pop report and see how many PSA had graded vs. BGS in the various grades.
So much of the registry's power is built on low population and this would dilute the number of graded examples and hurt prices. I think a huge part of PSA's success comes from low population cards selling for huge sums. Many dealers and collectors when they find strong examples choose to send them to PSA instead with hopes of landing a strong grade and then a strong price. This becomes self perpetuating and continues to help them build on their lead. >>
I didn't mean for psa to do it. I wouldn't expect that for the reasons you mentioned. I was more or less just throwing it out there as a hypothetical nice thing to have. I've never checked the sgc pop report but the bgs pop report is terrible. Half the cards I look for aren't even there.
2) Reduce the number of subsets within a particular set to 3
3) Start a campaign to recall any unwanted commons to be shipped back to Topps for recycling to produce new cards (Topps can "go green")
<< <i>There would also be no way to look at the pop report and see how many PSA had graded vs. BGS in the various grades. >>
I tend to have both sites open on different tabs on my browser.
Top Three changes
1. Let Upper Deck produce pro cards again but limit the amount of sets
2. Be more strict on centering for Gem Mint, Mint and Near Mint cards. Yes, seeing a PSA 8 that is horrendously off center sucks and a PSA 10 that also OC is just as.
3. Manufactuters PLEASE stop using sticker autographs and CUTS of players that are still signing. Getting a cut auto booklet of Andrew Luck is lame.